Re: Radioactive Contamination Anecdotes

[elw1@ix.netcom.com (Edwin Wright)]

You wrote: 

snip-snip

>I would like to give them some examples of contamination
>incidents which could have been avoided if researchers had followed 
>proper procedures,  ie. wipe tests, geiger surveys, good lab 
practices. 

snip-snip

Well, I don't have one that was the result of not following proper 
procedures, however, it is interesting. And it is sure to get a few 
laughs.

It seems that while performing surveys a researcher found some p-32 
contaminated cockroach excreta!!! While performing a survey a 
technician noted an increased reading near a soap dispenser. When the 
board that the dispenser was removed he found excreta that read 250,000 
cpm. Apparently the roaches had been deliberately labeled with the 
P-32.

This was reported in the Health Physics Journal Vol. 45 No. 6 (December 
1983) pp. 1053-1054.